Ko e ʻOtu Filipainí: Ko e Mālohi Fakalaumālie ʻi he ʻOtu Motu ʻo e Tahí

ʻI ha meimei taʻu ʻe 550 nai kimuʻa he ʻaloʻi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí, ne talaʻofa ʻe he ʻEikí ki he palōfita ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ko Nīfaí ʻo pehē: “ʻOku ou manatuʻi ʻa kinautolu ʻoku ʻi he ngaahi motu ʻo e tahí,” mo “ʻomi ʻa ʻeku leá ki he fānau ʻa e tangatá, ʻio, ʻo aʻu ki he ngaahi puleʻanga kotoa pē ʻo e māmaní” (2 Nīfai 29:7). Ki ha tokolahi ʻoku nau lau ʻa e ngaahi lea fakaʻofoʻofa ko ʻení, ʻoku haʻu ki he fakakaukaú ha kulupu ʻe taha ʻo e “ngaahi ʻotu motu ʻo e tahí”: ko e ʻotu Filipainí.

Ko e Lepapulika ʻo Filipainí ko ha ngaahi motu lalahi ʻoku meimei ke aʻu ki he 7,100 ʻoku tuʻu ʻi he matāfanga fakatonga hahake ʻo ʻĒsiá, pea mo ha kakai ʻoku meimei ke aʻu hono tokolahí ki he 100 milioná. Ko ha fonua fakaʻofoʻofa fakatalopiki ʻoku nofoʻi ʻe ha kakai anga fakakaumeʻa, longomoʻui, mo loto-fakatōkilalo. Ka ko ha fonua ʻoku tuʻu he halanga ʻo e ngaahi mofuiké, afā, moʻunga afí, ngaahi peau kula mo e ngaahi fakatamaki fakanatula kehe pea faingataʻaʻia mei he lahi ʻo e ngaahi palopalema fakasōsialé mo fakaʻekonōmiká. Ko ha meʻa faingataʻa e lahi ʻa e masivá, pea kuo kātekina ʻe he kau Filipainí e moveuveu fakapolitikalé mo e faingataʻaʻia fakaʻekonōmiká.

Ka ko kinautolu ʻoku nau maheni mo e ngaahi founga ʻa e ʻEikí, ʻoku ʻi he ʻotu Filipainí ʻa e kelekele lelei ki hono tō e tenga ʻo e ongoongoleleí. ʻOku tokolahi ha kau Filipaini ʻoku nau lea faka-Pilitānia ʻa ia foki ko e lea fakapuleʻangá ia, pea kau atu ki ai mo e lea faka-Takaloká mo e ngaahi lea fakafonua kehekehe. Koeʻuhí ko e taimi lahi naʻe puleʻi ai ʻe he kau Sipeiní, ʻoku laka hake ʻi he peseti ʻe 90 ʻo e kakaí ʻoku nau Kalisitiane; ʻoku ʻi ai mo ha konga lahi ʻo e kakaí ko e kau Mosilemi.

Naʻe ʻuluaki fakahoko hono fakafeʻiloaki ʻo e Siasí ʻi he ʻotu Filipainí ʻi he 1898 lolotonga e Tau ʻa ʻAmelika mo Sipeiní ʻe Uilaati Kolo mo Siaosi Sīmeni, ko ha ongo mēmipa fakakautau ʻo e Siasí mei ʻIutaá ʻa ia naʻe vaheʻi ko ha ongo faifekau ki muʻa peá na toki mavahé. ʻI ha kamata ke lahi e ngaahi faingamālié, naʻa na malanga ʻaki ʻa e ongoongoleleí, ka naʻe ʻikai maʻu ha papitaiso.

Lolotonga e Tau Lahi hono II ʻa Māmaní, ne hiki ai ha niʻihi tokolahi ʻo e Kāingalotú fakataha mo e kau sōtiá ki he ʻotu motú. ʻI he 1944 mo e 1945, naʻe fakataha ha ngaahi kulupu fakakautau ke lotu ʻi ha ngaahi feituʻu kehekehe, pea naʻe tokolahi ha kakai Siasi ne ngāue tokoni ne nau kei ʻi he ʻotu Filipainí ʻi he ʻosi ʻa e taú. Naʻe kau ai ʻa Makasini Teiti mo ha papi ului ko Seilomi Holouisi. Naʻá na fakatou tokoni ki hono fakafeʻiloaki ʻa e ongoongoleleí kia ʻAniseta Fasato. Lolotonga ʻena tokoni ke toe langa hake ʻa e fale ʻo ʻAnisetá ʻi ha feituʻu ʻi Manila, naʻe vahevahe ʻe Misa Holouisi ʻa ʻene tui foʻou ne toki maʻú mo ʻAniseta mo ʻene tama fefine, ko Luté.

Naʻe maʻu ʻe ʻAniseta ha fakamoʻoni peá ne loto ke papitaiso, ka naʻe ʻikai ke fakaʻatā ʻe he Siasí he taimi ko iá ke papitaiso e kau Filipainí he naʻe ʻikai ha ʻiuniti tuʻu maʻu ʻo e Siasí ʻi he ngaahi ʻotu motú. Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻEletā Hāloti B. Lī (1899–1973) ʻo e Kōlomu ʻo e Kau ʻAposetolo ʻe Toko Hongofulu mā Uá e fie maʻu ʻa ʻAnisetá, pea ʻi heʻene hoko ko e sea ʻo e Kōmiti Lahi Fakakautaú, naʻe fakangofua ʻe ʻEletā Lī ke papitaiso ʻa Aniseta. ʻI he pongipongi Toetuʻu ʻo e 1946, naʻe papitaiso ʻe Loleni Fia ko ha taha ngāue fakakautau ʻa ʻAniseta Fasato ko e fuofua taha Filipaini ke hoko ko ha mēmipa ʻo e Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní.

Hili e taú, naʻe fokotuʻu ha kulupu ʻo e Siasí ʻi he ongo ʻapi tau US ʻe ua—Clark Air Base mo e Subic Bay Naval Base—pea hanganaki fiefia atu ʻa e kakai Siasi ʻoku ngāue tokoní ki hono fokotuʻu lelei ange ʻa e Siasí ʻi he ʻotu Filipainí. ʻI he ʻaho 21 ʻo ʻAokosi, 1955, ne fakatapui ai ʻe Palesiteni Siosefa Filitingi Sāmita (1876–1972) ʻa e ʻotu Filipainí ki hono malangaʻi ʻo e ongoongoleleí. Neongo ia, ne fakatoloi ʻe he ngaahi fakangatangata ʻo e ngaahi meʻa fakalaó, ʻa e tūʻuta atu ʻa e kau faifekaú kae ʻoua kuo aʻu ki he 1961.

ʻI he 1960, ne ʻaʻahi ʻa ʻEletā Kōtoni B. Hingikelī (1910–2008), ko ha Tokoni ki he Kōlomu ʻo e Kau ʻAposetolo ʻe Toko Hongofulu Mā Uá, ki he ʻotu Filipainí ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho lahi: “Naʻá ku fakahā e fakakaukau ko ia ko e ngāue fakafaifekaú ʻe … ola lelei hangē ko ia kuo hoko ʻi he ngaahi feituʻu lahi ʻi he māmaní.”³ ʻI he taʻu hono hokó, hili ha teuteu lahi mo e ngāue fakapepa naʻe fai ʻe he kāingalotu ʻo hangē ko Makasini Teiti Kilimi mo Palesiteni Lōpeti S. Teila ʻo e Misiona Fakatonga ʻo e Hahake Mamaʻó pea pehē ki ha ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ʻo e Siasí mei tuʻa, naʻe toe foki ʻa ʻEletā Hingikelī ki he ʻotu motú ke toe fakatapui e ʻotu Filipainí ki he kamataʻanga ʻo e ngāue fakafaifekaú.

ʻI he ʻaho 28 ʻo ʻEpeleli, 1961, ʻi he tuʻakolo ʻo Manilá, naʻe fakataha ʻa ʻEletā Hingikelī mo ha kiʻi kulupu ʻo e kau mēmipa ngāue tokoní, kakai ʻAmeliká ʻo e koló, mo ha mēmipa Filipaini ʻe taha ko—Tēvita Lengimeni—pea fakahoko ai ha lotu makehe “ke ʻi ai ha lauiafe tokolahi ʻa ia te nau maʻu ʻa e pōpoaki ko ʻení pea ʻe tāpuakiʻi ai kinautolu.”⁴ Ne vave e hoko ʻa e ngaahi lea ko ʻeni, ne lea ʻaki ʻe ha tamaioʻeiki moʻoni ʻa e ʻEikí, ko ha kikite.

Ne tūʻuta e kau fuofua faifekau ʻe toko fā—Raymond L. Goodson, Harry J. Murray, Kent C. Lowe, mo Nester O. Ledesma—ki Manila hili ha ngaahi uike mei ai. Naʻe pehē e ʻEletā Lowe, “Naʻe talitali loto lelei ʻaupito ʻe he kau Filipainí ʻa e ongoongoleleí. ʻOku meimei ko e taimi ʻoku loto ai e ʻulu ʻo e fāmilí ke ne kau ki he Siasí, ʻe kau atu mo e toenga kotoa ʻo e fāmilí ki he Siasí.”⁵

Naʻe fakalakalaka ʻa e ngāué ki ha tuʻunga ʻa ia naʻe fokotuʻu ai ʻa e Misiona Filipaini ʻi he 1967. ʻI he fakaʻosinga ʻo e taʻu ko iá, naʻe ʻi ai e kau mēmipa ʻe toko 3,193 ʻi he misioná, pea ko e toko 631 leva ko e kau papi ului ʻi he taʻu ko iá. ʻI he 1973 naʻe tupulaki ʻa e Siasí ʻi he ʻotu Filipainí ʻo mei aʻu ki he kau mēmipa ʻe toko 13,000. ʻI he ʻaho 20 ʻo Mē, 1973, naʻe fokotuʻu leva ʻa e Siteiki Manila Filipainí, pea hoko ʻa ʻOkositō A. Limi ko e palesiteni. ʻI he 1974 naʻe vaeua leva ʻa e misioná, pea faʻu leva ʻa e Misiona Manila Filipainí mo e Misiona Sēpū Siti Filipainí.

ʻI ʻAokosi ʻo e 1975, naʻe haʻu ʻa Palesiteni Sipenisā W. Kimipolo (1895–1985) ki Manila ke ne tokangaʻi ʻa e fuofua konifelenisi fakaʻēlia he ʻotu Filipainí. Ko e māhina ko ʻAokosí ko ha māhina afāngia ia, pea ʻoku faingataʻa ʻaupito e fonongá kiate kinautolu ʻoku haʻu mei tuʻa ʻi Manilá. Naʻe ʻi ai ha pasi fonu ʻi he kāingalotú mei he Kolo ko Laoaká naʻe ʻikai ke nau mei aʻu, ka naʻe hifo ʻa e kāingalotú ʻo teke ʻenau meʻalelé mei he vaitupu pelepelá mo ʻenau kole ki he fakaʻulí ke ʻoua ʻe foki. Naʻe ʻi ai ha kulupu ʻe taha ʻo e kāingalotú naʻa nau kātakiʻi ʻa e tahi hoú ʻi ha ʻaho nai ʻe tolu he ko e meʻa pē mahuʻinga taha kiate kinautolú, hangē ko e pehē ʻe ha fefine, ko e sio mo fanongo ki ha palōfita moʻui ʻa e ʻOtuá.

Naʻe toe ʻaʻahi ʻa Palesiteni Kimipolo ki he ʻotu Filipainí ʻi he 1980 ke ne tokangaʻi ha konifelenisi fakaʻēlia ʻe taha, pea naʻá ne feʻiloaki taimi nounou foki mo e palesiteni ʻo e ʻotu Filipainí ko Palesiteni Fatima Mākisi. Naʻe teuteuʻi ʻe he fakataha ko ʻení ʻa e halá maʻá e Siasí ke aʻu ʻo fakaava ha senitā akoʻanga fakafaifekau ʻi he ʻotu Filipainí ʻi he 1983 pea fakatapui e Temipale Manila Filipainí ʻi he taʻu hono hokó. ʻI he 1987 naʻe fokotuʻu ai ʻa e ʻĒlia Filipaini/ʻOtu Maikolinisiá ke hetikuota ki Manila.

Naʻe filifili pea liliu ha konga ʻo e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ki he lea faka-Takaloká ʻi he taʻu 1987. ʻOku lolotonga liliu e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ki he ngaahi lea fakafonua kehekehe ʻo e ʻotu Filipainí, kau ai mo e faka-Sepuano.

ʻI Tīsema 1980, ne fekauʻi mai ʻe Palesiteni Sipenisā W. Kimipolo e talēkita ʻo e potungāue fakatau kelekele ʻa e Siasí ki Manilá ke ne kumi ha feituʻu feʻunga ki ha temipale. Hili hono fakakaukauʻi ʻa e feituʻu kehekehe, naʻe fakahū leva ʻe he talēkitá ha kole ke fakatau ʻaki ha ʻeka 3.5 (1.4 ha) ʻi Keisoni Sití. Ko e konga ko ʻení ʻokú te sio lelei ai ki he Teleʻa Malikina, pea ʻoku ofi ʻa e feituʻu ʻoku tuʻu aí ki he kāingalotu tokolahi ʻo e Siasí. Naʻe tali ʻa e kolé, pea naʻe fakatau mai ʻa e kelekelé ʻi Sānuali 1981. Naʻe liliu ʻa e hingoa ʻo e halá ko e Temple Drive (Hala ki he Temipalé) ʻi he kole ʻa e Siasí.

Ne fakatahataha hake ha kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí ʻe toko 2,000 mei he tapa kotoa ʻo e ʻotu motú ʻi he vaka, lēlue, mo e pasi ki he kātoanga tanupoú he ʻaho 25 ʻo ʻAokosi, 1982, neongo e fakamanamana ʻo ha matangi mālohi. Ne taimi nounou mei ai pea kamata hono langa ʻo e temipalé, pea naʻe mateuteu ke fakatapui ʻi ʻAokosi ʻo e 1984.

Naʻe meimei aʻu ki he toko 27,000 ʻa e kau mēmipa mo e kakai teʻeki siasi ne nau ʻahia e temipalé kimuʻa pea toki fakatapuí. Naʻa nau ō mai neongo ha matangi mālohi ʻe ua—naʻá na vāmamaʻo ʻaki pē e houa ʻe 48—ʻo na fakaʻauha ʻa Filipaini ʻi ha ngaahi ʻaho siʻi kimuʻa he fakatapuí. Ne aʻu mai ha Kāingalotu mei he ngaahi vahefonua mamaʻó ʻoku nau ongosia ka naʻa nau fiefia. ʻI ha taimi lahi naʻe fakamālohiʻi kinautolu ke nau fou ʻi ha ngaahi hala lōloa ki Manila koeʻuhí naʻe lahi e ngaahi hala ne tāfea pea maumau ha ngaahi hala fakakavakava koeʻuhí ko e hake ko ia ʻa e ngaahi vaitafé.

Naʻe vahevahe ʻe Kalunikani “ha ongo māʻoniʻoni, he te ke fehangahangai mo ho Tupuʻangá he taimi ʻokú ke hū ai ki lotó.” Naʻe pehē ʻe Kēnolo Pevenito Kasitilo, ko e faifekau pule ʻo e siasi Constabulary ʻi Filipainí ko e temipalé “ko ha feituʻu ia ʻe lava ke fakakaukau ai ki ha ngaahi meʻa fakalangi koeʻuhí ʻokú ke ʻi ha ʻātakai pehē.” Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe ha ongo tāupoʻou ko e temipalé “ko ha fale ia ʻo e ʻOtuá.” Naʻe talaange ʻe ʻEva ʻEsitala Koloa, ko ha mēmipa ʻo e falealea ʻo Filipainí ki he kau taki fonongá, “ʻOku ou fakaʻamu te mou toe langa ha ngaahi temipale lahi ange ʻi heni.”⁶

Naʻe tataki ʻe Palesiteni Hingikelī, ko e Tokoni Ua ʻi he kau Palesitenisī ʻUluakí he taimi ko iá, ʻa e ouau fakatoka ʻo e makatulikí ʻi he ʻaho Tūsite, 25 ʻo Sepitema, 1984. Naʻe hoko ai ha ngaahi fakatahaʻanga fakatapui ʻe hiva, ne fai ʻi he loki silesitialé. Naʻe kau atu ki ha ngaahi fakatahaʻanga kehekehe ha Kāingalotu nai ʻe 6,500 mei he siteiki ʻe 16 mo e ngaahi vahefonua ʻe 22 ʻi he ʻĒlia Pasifikí.

ʻI he hili ko ia ʻo e fakataha fakaʻosi ʻo e fakatapuí, naʻe hoko leva ʻa Paulo V. Malita ko e Siʻí mo ʻEtinā A. Iasona ko e ʻuluaki ongomeʻa mali ke na mali ʻi he Temipale Manila Filipainí ʻi he ʻaho 27 ʻo Sepitema, 1984. Naʻe fakahoko ʻe he ʻuluaki palesiteni ʻo e temipale ko iá, W. Kaafi ʻAnitulusi, ʻa e ouau molumalu ʻo e malí.

Naʻe tokolahi ha kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí naʻa nau fakaholo atu ke maʻu honau ʻenitaumení, ʻo kamata mei he kau ngāue ouaú. Naʻe hokohoko atu ʻa e ngāue fakatemipalé ʻi he pō ko iá ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho hono hokó.

Naʻe ongoʻi ʻe he kau mēmipá ha holi lahi ange ke hū he temipalé. Ko kinautolu ne nofo mamaʻó ne nau feilaulau lahi ke nau fononga mamaʻo mai ʻi he vaka pe pasi. Ka naʻa nau kei haʻu pē mo ha ngaahi talanoa ʻo e tuí mo e loto vilitakí.

Naʻe pehē ʻe Penato mo Leonaitasi ʻOpetesa ʻo Senelolo Sanitosí, ʻoku ngali fuʻu faingataʻa ʻa e ʻalu ki he temipale ʻi Manilá he ʻoku mamaʻo. Kae hangē ko e tangata fakataú naʻá ne ʻalu ʻo fakatau ʻa e meʻa kotoa naʻá ne maʻú koeʻuhí ka ne lava ʻo kumi ha mataʻitofe mahuʻinga ʻe taha (vakai Mātiu 13:45–46), naʻe fakakaukau ʻa e ongo mātuʻa ko ʻení ke fakatau atu hona ʻapí kae lava ke na ʻalu mo ʻena fānaú ʻo sila ko ha fāmili taʻengata. ʻI he hili hono fakatau kotoa atu hona ʻapí mo ʻena koloá, naʻe lava ke na tānaki ha paʻanga feʻunga ke totongi ʻenau tikite vaká ki Manila ki honau fāmili ʻe toko hivá. Naʻe hohaʻa ʻa Leonaitasi koeʻuhí ko e ʻikai ha ʻapi te nau foki mai ki aí. Ka naʻe fakapapauʻi ange ʻe Penato ʻe tokoni ʻa e ʻEikí. Naʻe silaʻi kinautolu ki taimi mo ʻitāniti ʻi he temipalé ʻi he 1985. Naʻe ʻaonga e ngaahi feilaulau kotoa pē ne nau faí, he naʻa nau maʻu ha fiefia taʻe-hano-tatau ʻi he temipalé—ko ʻenau mataʻitofe mahuʻingá. Pea naʻe hoko e meʻa ne lea ʻaki ʻe Penató, he naʻe tokoniʻi kinautolu ʻe he ʻEikí. ʻI heʻenau foki mai mei Manilá, naʻe angalelei ʻa e ngaahi mahení ʻo foaki kiate kinautolu ha ngaahi feituʻu ke nau nofo ai. Naʻe ʻosi ʻa e ako ʻa ʻena fānaú, pea faifai pē pea maʻu ʻe he fāmilí hanau ʻapi ʻi ha feituʻu foʻou.

ʻI he ʻaho 18 ʻo ʻEpeleli, 2006, naʻe fanongonongo ai ʻe he kau Palesitenisī ʻUluakí ʻa hono langa ʻo e Temipale Sepū Siti Filipainí. ʻI heʻenau fanongo ki he ongoongo ko ʻení, naʻe loʻimataʻaia ha tokolahi ʻo e kau mēmipa ʻo e Siasí ʻi he fiefia. Naʻe pehē ʻe Sisa Pelesi ko e Siʻí ko e talēkita ʻo e ʻInisititiuti ʻo e Lēsoni Fakalotú ʻi Sepū Sití, “ʻOku tāpuekina kitautolu koeʻuhí he naʻe fili ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa Sepū Siti ko e feituʻu ia ke langa ai e temipale hono hokó.”

Hili ha ngaahi māhina siʻi hono fakatapui ʻo e Temipale Sepu Siti Filipainí, naʻe toe maʻu ʻe he kāinga lotu ʻo e Siasí ha ʻuhinga ke nau fiefia ai. ʻI he ʻaho 2 ʻo ʻOkatopa, 2010, lolotonga ʻene lea fakaava ʻi he konifelenisi lahí, naʻe fanongonongo ʻe Palesiteni Tōmasi S. Monisoni hono langa ʻo e Temipale Uataneta Filipainí, ʻi Pangasinani.

ʻOku kei siʻi ʻi hono fakafehoanaki ki he ngaahi fonua kehé ʻa e Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní ʻi he ʻotu Filipainí, ka ʻoku nāunauʻia ʻa hono ikuʻangá ʻi he motú. Naʻe fakaofo e tupulaki ʻa e Siasí, ka ko e lelei tahá ʻoku teʻeki ke aʻusia. Naʻe pehē ʻe ʻEletā Maikolo Sione U. Tei ʻo e Kau Fitungofulú, ko e tokotaha Filipaini hono ua ne uiuiʻi ke hoko ko ha Taki Māʻolungá, “ʻOku fie maʻu ʻa kimautolu ko e [Kāingalotu ʻo Filipainí] ke mau mateuteu fakalaumālie lahi ange ʻi ha toe taimi kimuʻa koeʻuhí he ko e ngāué ʻe laka ki muʻa ʻo tatau ai pē pe te tau tokoni pē ʻikai.”⁷

Ko hono moʻoní, ʻi he hoko mai e senituli 21, ʻe hokohoko mo tupulaki e Siasi kuo toe fakafoki maí pea te ne tākiekina ʻa e tokolahi pea ʻe toe tali ʻe he kau Filipaini tokolahi ange e pōpoakí pea ʻe hoko ia ko ha tāpuaki ki he kakai fili ʻi he ngaahi ʻotu motu ʻo e tahí. Kia ʻEletā Tei mo e Kāingalotu ʻo Filipainí, ʻoku lolotonga fakahoko e “fuʻu … ngaahi talaʻofa ʻa e ʻEikí kiate kinautolu ʻa ia ʻoku ʻi he ngaahi motu ʻo e tahí” (2 Nīfai 10:21).